EC discusses reforms, says all senators should be selected

It may also propose that all senators be elected.

The EC also wants to extend the time it has to look into electoral irregularities from 30 days to 60 or 90 days before endorsing MPs after an election.

These are some of the ideas initially resolved by a panel set up to contribute to the charter drafting process. 

Chaired by Puchong Nutrawong, the panel will consult with legal advisers about all its proposals today and forward them to the Constitution Drafting Committee on Friday.

The EC also wants sole authority to postpone an election date and for Royal decrees to dissolve the House to be written separately from ones that set an election date. This is to prevent the same problems from taking place as when the House was dissolved on December 9 and the EC locked horns with the Yingluck government over the February 2 election.

The EC also suggested that the number of party-list MPs and constituency MPs be equal. But it said a new system should be found to ensure party-list MPs truly represent people from all walks of life. 

For constituency polling, the agency proposed that either provinces be made constituencies or the charter drafters should opt for a multi-member constituency system.

The EC resolved that a new system be set up to select or make up the Senate – to replace the system used in the previous charter.

It also wants to make it more difficult for political parties to be set up – by requiring a party to have at least 5,000 members from all four regions of the country.

The agency also disagreed with the disbanding of parties whose executives commit electoral fraud, saying that only party executives and accomplices should face legal action – not the party.

In regard to populist polices, the EC proposed that the Finance Ministry, the Budget Bureau and the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board check populist policies presented by political parties if they are prone to cause financial damage to the country.